Trail Blazers Blog

UT regent Hall’s absence a ‘slap in the face’ to investigating committee

University of Texas regent Wallace Hall has been accused of micromanaging the university and making burdensome records requests, he could be impeached by a legislative committee, but he has declined to testify at any of the meetings without a subpeona.

University of Texas regent Wallace Hall’s continued absence from legislative meetings probing his possible abuse of office is a “slap in the face” to the committee, said committee chairman Rep. Dan Flynn, R-Canton, Wednesday morning.

I’ve never “been on a committee where individuals would dictate the actions of our committee,” Flynn said during testimony at a House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations meeting.

Hall has repeatedly declined to testify at the meetings without a subpoena, which would offer him some legal protection.

Hall has been accused of micromanaging UT and possibly disclosing private student information within massive document requests he made of UT System topping 800,000 documents. The House inquiry could recommend Hall’s impeachment, a rare action never before taken on an unelected official in Texas.

Hall said the requests were part of his job and he sought to improve the university.

Rusty Hardin, special counsel to the committee, said that since Hall is the subject of the investigation, and has spoken to reporters on the subject in the past, that he should voluntarily testify. Hardin said the committee is not planning on issuing him a subpoena. It now seems unlikely Hall will testify.

The committee has several times asked Hall for certain documents and names of individuals that could testify before the committee and Hall has not supplied them, Hardin said.

Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, said Hall has not turned over a “scintilla” of what the committee has asked him for.

Committee member Rep. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, said it would leave a “bad taste” in his mouth to lack Hall’s testimony. The committee has issued subpoenas for several other witnesses, Perry said, and it could subpoena Hall and have him testify. Furthermore, Hall is operating under legal advice since the committee raised the stakes in a previous meeting beyond impeachment and said legal action could be taken against Hall for disclosing certain private information.

UT President Bill Powers and UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa are set to testify later today, watch for the updates.

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The blog for the Dallas Morning News politics team tracks Dallas Fort Worth area, Texas and national campaigns.